Students must be working in a registered apprenticeship program in conjunction with the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, and the United Association (UA).

A five-year apprenticeship emphasizes the skill set required to be a highly skilled craftsman. A pipefitter apprentice will learn to layout, fabricate, assembler, install, maintain, and repair piping systems that transport fluids, slurries, and gas in residential, commercial, and industrial construction sectors. They specialize in planning, design, and installation of low and high pressure systems. Their work is in fields such as refineries, paper mills, nuclear power plants, manufacturing facilities, and in the automotive industry. The systems that the pipefitter may work on are some of the highest pressure and temperature applications and require knowledge of scientific principles to complete their work safely.

The apprenticeship certificate recognizes the student attaining journey level status at the completion of the technical studies. Apprentices may apply technical studies together with general education coursework toward an Associate of Applied Science degree with a concentration in pipefitting.